What is your CPM? As a salesman for a website, I get that question asked a
lot. It tells me that the person who phrased the question is not familar
with the web and has not yet grasped the concept of what it is about. It is
then that I try to explain my concept of the web as a sales vehicle. This is
not a mass medium, no matter how hard people want to believe that. The only
sense that it could be considered a mass medium is if you are looking for
awareness and just want to have your name up on someones web site. Our whole
culture, that of the ad agency and marketing departments is mass media and
passive advertising. This flies in the face of what the web is about and
also the people on it. When I am asked what the CPM is, I counter with, "
What is your cost for a personal sales call?"
The Internet and its marketing opportunities lie in the fact that this is a
great opportunity for marketeers to go one on one with potential customers.
The following analogy helps me get the point across. " When you gave me this
appointment, you invited me into your office with the expectation that you
would learn something and that there would be a dialogue. Is that correct?
The person always says yes. I go on to say that we have covered the
presentation and you have had the opportunity to ask questions and we have
had a give and take conversation. The client nods his appoval. I then say
that the net works the same way, sitting in front of my computer, I invite
you to come into my home when I click on your website. In other words, I am
interested in what you have to say. The onus is now on you. You have to: 1.
Want to make me stay. 2. Communicate with me and 3. Give me a reason to move
closer to purchasing your products."
Selling on the internet has to assume some basics. The first one is that the
comsumer is there because they have an interest. It is up to us to convert
that initial interest into something more, hopefully a sale. The current
prevailing agency and client philosophy is centered around passive
advertising. My opinion is that this is the antithesis of what it should be.
The advertising messsage should be prepared llike a good sales call with a
script or presentation that allows for dialogue, faq's and other things that
can involve the visitor, answer questions and move the prospect toward the
sale. I would like to hear from others who either share or disagree with
this opinion.
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